Organizational Excellence
Organizational Excellence
This funding request contributes to the DOT Organizational Excellence strategic objective and to the following performance outcomes:
Performance Outcome 1: Achieved strategic management of human capital.
Performance Outcome 4: Achieved budget and performance integration.
Performance Outcome 5: Achieved e-government goals.
Performance Outcome 6: Achieved research and development goals.
This request would allow RITA to:
- Provide $76.7 million in reimbursable funding for investment in education, research, and technology transfer through the University Transportation Centers.
- Validate performance and accountability measures and methodology for DOT and uphold the statistical quality and confidentiality of BTS statistics.
- Redesign information data structures and standardize the storage, preservation and delivery of electronic information resources within the National Transportation Library.
- Enhance Department-wide coordination by: identifying technologies, focusing DOT’s efforts; assisting with deployment; and leveraging and coordinating with external parties.
The resources requested to achieve the performance outcomes are:
| FY 2006 Actual |
FY 2007 Pres. Budget |
FY 2008 Request |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Goal 1 | |||
| RD&T – University Transp. Centers | [76,700,000] | [76,700,000] | [76,700,000] |
| BTS - NA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | [76,700,000] | [76,700,000] | [76,700,000] |
| Total FTE | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Performance Goal 4 | |||
| RD&T - NA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BTS – Methods & Standards | 2,165,000 | 2,471,000 | 2,471,000 |
| Total | 2,165,000 | 2,471,000 | 2,471,000 |
| Total FTE | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Performance Goal 5 | |||
| RD&T - NA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| BTS – National Transportation Library | 2,035,000 | 2,345,000 | 2,345,000 |
| Total | 2,035,000 | 2,345,000 | 2,345,000 |
| Total FTE | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Performance Goal 6 | |||
| RD&T – RD&T Coordination | 5,142,000 | 3,744,000 | 5,800,000 |
| BTS - NA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 5,142,000 | 3,744,000 | 5,800,000 |
| Total FTE | 20 | 23 | 34 |
| Strategic Objective Total | 9,342,000 | 8,560,000 | 10,616,000 |
| Strategic Objective Total FTE | 39 | 42 | 53 |
Performance Goal 1: Achieved strategic management of human capital.
PERFORMANCE ISSUES
Research, Education & Technology Transfer - To promote transportation education, research and research results thereby advancing the transportation workforce.
- University Transportation Centers - RITA anticipates $76,700,000 to provide financial assistance to support transportation education, research and technology transfer activities at university-based centers. UTC program funding is provided to RITA through reimbursable agreements with the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.
ANTICIPATED FY 2007 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Utilize a clearinghouse for UTC research.
FY 2008 PERFORMANCE BUDGET REQUEST
Research, Education & Technology Transfer
| Inputs | Activities | Outputs | Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Transportation Centers | [$76,700,000 / 0 FTE] | 1. Manage grants. 2. Review UTCs’ work to improve efficiency and productivity. 3. Transfer results of UTCs’ research to transportation community. 4. Collect, analyze, and publicize UTC performance measures. | 1. Deliver continuing education courses. 2. Deliver transportation degree courses. 3. Award grants. | Transportation professionals in sufficient numbers and qualifications to plan and operate an advanced transportation system. |
Performance Goal 4: Achieved budget and performance integration.
PEFORMANCE ISSUES
Quality, Standards & Coordination - To determine data and research priorities, establish quality standards and common definitions, and coordinate transportation efforts toward common goals and objectives.
- Statistical Methods & Standards – BTS conducts data quality reviews to promote quality for BTS data systems and information products; updates internal statistical standards and guidelines to provide procedural tools and specific descriptions of minimum levels of quality; implementations agency-wide procedures that protect confidential information from unauthorized disclosure; provides consulting support to other DOT modes to help ensure that rulemakings and other program actions are based on sound, defensible data; and provides statistical support for the Department’s Performance and Accountability Report.
ANTICIPATED FY 2007 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Complete the review of compliance with BTS Statistical Standards and Guidelines. Provide training in the application of these standards and monitor their implementation.
- For the DOT Performance and Accountability Report (PAR), provide assistance to the DOT operating administrations with performance measure estimation, projection, and extrapolation methodologies.
- Support requests from DOT such as review of statistical methods in rulemaking processes and implementation of the DOT Information Dissemination Quality Guidelines.
- Assess privacy compliance of RITA information systems.
FY 2008 PERFORMANCE BUDGET REQUEST
Quality, Standards & Coordination
| Inputs | Activities | Outputs | Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statistical Methods & Standards | $2,471,000 / 10 FTE | 1. Complete standards and guidelines. 2. Review all DOT performance measures. 3. Maintain confidentiality protocols. | 1. Statistical standards raining. 2. DOT PAR documentation. 3. Confidentiality training to BTS employees. 4. Report on RITA’s IT privacy compliance. | Valid statistical products that protect privacy and enable data sharing. |
Performance Goal 5: Achieved e-government goals.
PERFORMANCE ISSUES
Electronic Information - To leverage library resources for the ongoing development of an accessible transportation library.
- National Transportation Library (NTL) - The NTL is a virtual library that provides broad access to the nation’s transportation research and planning literature. The major components of the NTL are collection development, reference services, and cataloguing and indexing. NTL provides online Reference Services, answering the thousands of questions received each month that are related to the business of the Department of Transportation. The NTL provides reference services for the Office of the Secretary of Transportation and the Office of the Chief Information Officer by handling questions submitted through the DOT website’s DOT Comments feature.
ANTICIPATED FY 2007 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Complete the redesign of the catalog and the TRIS Online data structures into Oracle to improve usability and function for collection users.
- Create a standardized method for storage, preservation and delivery of electronic information resources.
- Increase total number of full-text links on TRIS On-line.
- Increase the number of participating libraries in TLCAT.
FY 2008 PERFORMANCE BUDGET REQUEST
Electronic Information
| Inputs | Activities | Outputs | Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Transportation Library | $2,345,000 / 9 FTE | 1. Provide reference services. 2. Build the collection. 3. Standardize the storage and preservation and delivery of electronic information. 4. Re-design TRIS. | 1. New data structure. 2. Full-text links. | A rich and accessible transportation research library that is used regularly by transportation professionals. |
Performance Goal 6: Achieved research and development goals.
PERFORMANCE ISSUES
Research & Development Planning & Management - To coordinate the development of transportation research and technologies toward common goals and objectives, maximizing resources toward departmental priorities and achieving efficiencies in research efforts.
RD&T Coordination - Mindful of the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) recommendations in their 2006 review of RITA’s Research, Development and Technology (RD&T) Coordination function, RITA plans to improve Departmental RD&T Coordination by: completing a strategy for reviewing all DOT RD&T activities to identify opportunities for joint efforts across Operating Administrations; ensuring that DOT research is evaluated according to established best practices; preparing and reporting on a schedule of research program evaluations; and developing common performance measures for DOT RD&T activities. For FY 2008, this program will add functionality by increasing resources and activity in oversight and evaluation. Those oversight and evaluation duties are split into two types – (1) macro-level evaluation of DOTs RD&T portfolio for accountability and reporting and (2) micro-level, technology-specific evaluation of targeted research projects – and reflects the Department’s next steps, following the creation and implementation of a planning and coordination process, in actually assessing the portfolio on a variety of factors.
ANTICIPATED FY 2007 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Submit the multi-modal Five-Year RD&T Strategic Plan to Congress.
- Develop a process for tracking RD&T milestones and performance goals against the Five-Year RD&T Strategic Plan.
FY 2008 PERFORMANCE BUDGET REQUEST
Research & Development Planning & Management
| Inputs | Activities | Outputs | Outcomes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RD&T Coordination | $5,800,000 / 34 FTE | 1. Provide planning & coordination activities. 2. Develop and implement an electronic reporting mechanism to capture research program management information. 3. Plan and initiate expert review of technological DOT research activities. | 1. Report to Congress, Annual Update for DOT RD&T Strategic Plan. 2. Program-level reporting tool, data and report on DOT R&D programs. 3. Schedule of expert reviews on targeted technologies. | Concentrated and coordinated R&D efforts within DOT. |